LA stoplights synchronized but road war endures LOS ANGELES (AP) — It seems that the impossible has occurred: The nation’s most congested city has become a model for traffic control. Yes, gridlock still prevails and drivers’ blood pressure still spikes as LA’s traffic arteries seize up during every morning and afternoon rush hour. Yet, with the flip of a switch earlier this year, Los Angeles became a worldwide leader by synchronizing all of its nearly 4,400 stoplights, making it the world’s...

Obama’s speechwriter: from intern to top wordsmith WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Barack Obama decided to attend a memorial service in Arizona for victims of a deadly mass shooting that severely injured then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, he needed a speech. And fast. The service was in two days. Jon Favreau, then chief White House speechwriter, was deep into writing Obama’s 2011 State of the Union address, due in less than three weeks. Up stepped his deputy, Cody Keenan. “I’ll do whatever you nee...

Protesters across globe rally against Monsanto LOS ANGELES (AP) — Protesters rallied in dozens of cities Saturday as part of a global protest against seed giant Monsanto and the genetically modified food it produces, organizers said. Organizers said “March Against Monsanto” protests were held in 52 countries and 436 cities, including Los Angeles where demonstrators waved signs that read “Real Food 4 Real People” and “Label GMOs, It’s Our Right to Know.” Genetically modified plants are grow...

San Antonio flooding kills 1; 200-plus rescued SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Torrential rains swamped San Antonio with flash floods on Saturday, leaving at least one person dead as emergency workers in boats rushed to rescue more than 200 residents stranded in cars and homes. “It was pretty crazy,” said Gera Hinojosa, a valet parking cars downtown after the storm. “It was pretty unexpected. We hardly got any warning about it.” For one woman, the storm turned fatal rapidly: Trapped in her car, she cli...

Cyclones movie shoot rescheduledThe Russellville Cyclones shoot for the upcoming inspirational film “Cowboys and Jesus” has been rescheduled for May 30 at Russellville High School’s Cyclone Stadium. The movie was originally set to film on April 26 but was forced to postphone due to bad weather. “Cowboys and Jesus” is a modern retelling of the biblical prodigal son, and was written by Otto Thorwarth and Bo Bullock. Thorwarth, who played the horse jockey Ronnie Turcotte in Dis...

Obama’s drone rules leave unanswered questions WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama left plenty of ambiguity in new policy guidelines that he says will restrict how and when the U.S. can launch targeted drone strikes, leaving himself significant power over how and when the weapons can be deployed. National security experts say it’s imperative to leave some room in the guidelines, given the evolving fight against terrorism. But civil rights advocates argue too little has been revealed a...

Judge: Ariz. sheriff’s office profiles Latinos PHOENIX (AP) — A federal judge ruled Friday that the office of America’s self-proclaimed toughest sheriff systematically singled out Latinos in its trademark immigration patrols, marking the first finding by a court that the agency racially profiles people. The 142-page decision by U.S. District Judge Murray Snow in Phoenix backs up allegations that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s critics have made for years that his officers violate the ...

Oklahoma gets far more than its share of disasters WASHINGTON (AP) — Many states get hit frequently with tornadoes and other natural catastrophes, but Oklahoma is Disaster Central. The twister that devastated Moore, Okla., was the 74th presidential disaster declared in the Sooner state in the past 60 years. Only much-larger and more-populous California and Texas have had more. The state is No. 1 in tornado disasters and No. 3 for flooding, according to a database of presidential disaster decla...

Trucker bumps I-5 bridge, sees horror behind him MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) — The trucker was hauling a load of drilling equipment when his load bumped against the steel framework over an Interstate 5 bridge. He looked in his rearview mirror and watched in horror as the span collapsed into the water behind him. Two vehicles fell into the icy Skagit River. Amazingly, nobody was killed. The three people who fell into the water escaped with only minor injuries. Officials are trying to find out wh...

After vote on gay youth, Scouts face more turmoil The Boy Scouts of America will get no reprieve from controversy after a contentious vote to accept openly gay boys as Scouts. Dismayed conservatives are already looking at alternative youth groups as they predict a mass exodus from the BSA. Gay-rights supporters vowed Friday to maintain pressure on the Scouts to end the still-in-place ban on gay adults serving as leaders. “They’re not on our good list yet,” said Paul Guequierre of the Human Ri...

Summer travel forecast: Better, but no blowout NEW YORK (AP) — This summer, high rollers are flying to lavish hot spots for their vacations. The rest of us are driving to less luxurious places like nearby campgrounds. The good news: At some U.S. campgrounds these days you get live bands, air guitar contests and chocolate pudding slip ‘n slides. Americans’ plans for summer travel mirror the current state of the economy. Rising home prices and a soaring stock market are encouraging those at ...

Obama: Sexual assault threatens trust in military ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — With a growing sexual assault epidemic staining the military, President Barack Obama urged U.S. Naval Academy graduates Friday to remember their honor depends on what they do when nobody is looking and said the crime has “no place in the greatest military on earth.” The commander in chief congratulated the 1,047 midshipmen graduating at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, telling the 841 men and 206 women that they ha...

Hurricane center: Beware of the storm surge MIAMI (AP) — During a hurricane, storm surge is one of the greatest threats to life and land, yet many people don’t understand the dire warnings from forecasters to get out of its way. So this season, they hope to offer easy-to-understand, color-coded maps and change the way they talk to the public. Simply put, storm surge is the abnormal rise of sea water. Predicting it is far more complicated, and so is explaining it, as forecasters at the N...

No bail for Pa. parents in faith-healing death PHILADELPHIA (AP) — After their 2-year-old son died of untreated pneumonia in 2009, faith-healing advocates Herbert and Catherine Schaible promised a judge they would not let another sick child go without medical care. But now they’ve lost an 8-month-old to what a prosecutor called “eerily similar” circumstances. And instead of another involuntary manslaughter charge, they’re now charged with third-degree murder. “We believe in divine healing,...

Principal recounts tornado hitting Oklahoma school MOORE, Okla. (AP) — Teachers and students at Plaza Towers Elementary School hunkered down against the storm just as they had been taught in countless tornado drills, their principal said Friday, recounting how she walked the halls until the twister was on the doorstep, then announced on the intercom, “It’s here.” In a pause-filled recollection that left many weeping, Amy Simpson said at a news conference that her teachers emerged battered afte...

Jury foreman says life or death decision unfair PHOENIX (AP) — They were 12 ordinary citizens who didn’t oppose the death penalty. But unlike spectators outside the courthouse who followed the case like a daytime soap opera and jumped to demand Jodi Arias’ execution, the jurors faced a decision that was wrenching and real, with implications that could haunt them forever. In an interview Friday, jury foreman William Zervakos provided a glimpse into the private deliberations, describing four ...

Obama sees narrower terror threat, defends drones WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama sought Thursday to advance the U.S. beyond the unrelenting war effort of the past dozen years, defining a narrower terror threat from smaller networks and homegrown extremists rather than the grandiose plots of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida. In a lengthy address at the National Defense University, Obama defended his controversial drone-strikes program as a linchpin of the U.S. response to the evolving dang...

Distraught mom becomes face of Oklahoma storm MOORE, Okla. (AP) — A massive tornado was carving its way through town. There was no time to hesitate. LaTisha Garcia had to get to her children. And so she raced against the storm. She had 30 miles to cover from her job in Edmond to Plaza Towers Elementary School, where her 8-year-old daughter Jazmin Rodriguez is a third grader. She lost. The tornado got there first, and the destruction kept her from driving the final few hundred yards. And s...

Boy Scouts approve plan to accept openly gay boys GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) — The Boy Scouts of America threw open its ranks Thursday to gay Scouts but not gay Scout leaders — a fiercely contested compromise that some warned could fracture the organization and lead to mass defections of members and donors. Of the roughly 1,400 voting members of the BSA’s National Council who cast ballots, 61 percent supported the proposal drafted by the governing Executive Committee. The policy change takes effec...